Wong Ho Leng: Might is right

Posted on May 13, 2009
Filed Under Sarawak Politics |

Opposition leader Wong Ho Leng (DAP-Bukit Assek) has been suspended from the Sarawak State Assembly for 12 months for a “camouflage” remark he made against a senior minister last November.

Speaker Datuk Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar made the decision Wednesday after the matter was put to the vote and the majority of assemblymen were in favour of suspending Ho Leng under Section 14(1) of the Dewan Undangan Negeri (Privileges and Powers) Ordinance.

Ho Leng, who was given 10 minutes to speak by Asfia, protested that his suspension was procedurally wrong as Section 14(1) did not provide for any punishment to be carried forward into the assembly’s next session.

He said that under the Section, action should have been taken against him during last November’s sitting when he used the word “camouflage” in seeking clarification from Second Finance Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh on the tabling of the Supplementary Supply (2008) Bill.

Furthermore, he said the suspension could not last beyond Dec 31 this year when the current session of the State Assembly ends.

“Under the section, any suspension automatically lapses at the end of the current session,” he said.

Later, at the State Assembly’s entrance, Ho Leng said it was very unfortunate that he had been suspended.

“It’s a very sad day. Unfortunately, in the Dewan Undangan Negeri, might is right,” he said.

Last November, Soon Koh tabled a motion referring Ho Leng to the Committee of Privileges for the “camouflage” remark.

He said Ho Lengs remark had imputed that he had an improper motive to conceal or hide a RM900mil expenditure which he had sought so as to deceive the August House to approve the money.

Ho Leng appeared before the committee on Dec 12 to defend himself.

Source: Report by SHARON LING in The Star

When the opposition party is a tiny minority in the State Assembly, it is not surprising that it can easily be bullied and bulldozed into silence by the ruling party.

Any “wrong” word uttered can be caused for suspension. Why is the word “camouflage” so offensive that it merits a year’s suspension for the opposition leader?

If the opposition is wrong about its perception of the motive of the second finance minister, why not just give the clarification the opposition seeks? But typical of the strong arm tactics of the ruling coalition in the state, or for any Malaysian state under the control of the BN for that matter, it is more expedient to silence the opposition. In this instance, a year’s suspension for something as innocuous as the use of the word “camouflage”.

It is a shame that in Malaysia, in general the people, especially the constituents represented by elected representatives like Wong Ho Leng, have no means to voice their dissatisfaction with the treatment of their elected representative. Is there a hot line number to the Speaker of the Assembly? Is there any newspaper that will report on constituents’ unhappiness at having their elected representative suspended from the Assembly and thus leaving them without a voice at the Assembly?

In the state of Sarawak, the role of the opposition is nothing more than that of a pesky mosquito that needs to be swatted every time it tries to go any where near to questioning the motives/agenda of the BN controlled government. Every elected representative under the BN is just a rubber stamp to whatever the all powerful chief minister wants.

Democracy, Sarawak style.

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